1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the process of breastfeeding. Specifically, it is a pillow designed to provide full support to the breast itself, making the breastfeeding process more comfortable for mother and child.
2. Background of the Invention
The many benefits of breast-feeding children are well known. Breast-milk contains antibodies that protect the young child from illness including painful ear infections, upper and lower respiratory ailments, allergies, intestinal disorders, colds, viruses, staph, strep and e. coli infections, diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, many childhood cancers, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, salmonella, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as well as lifetime protection from Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, some lymphomas, insulin dependent diabetes, and for girls, breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfed babies tend to be less susceptible to dental caries. Breastfeeding helps the mother lose her pregnancy weight. Economically, breast-milk is much less expensive than the alternatives. Breast-milk does not have to be mixed, measured, heated, and/or cooled the way formula or milk does, and there is no bottle to be cleaned after feeding. The act of breastfeeding builds a strong bond between the mother and child.
As natural as breastfeeding is, it is not always instinctive or comfortable and often a lactation consultant must be employed to teach the mother how to breastfeed her child. The most common method of breastfeeding taught today is the “cradle hold,” where the baby is held by one bent arm and the other hand is used to position the breast. The mother must position the baby so that it can “latch” to her breast and hold the correct position until the baby is done feeding. The weight of the baby on the support arm can become very burdensome and cannot be relieved by the other hand because it is occupied keeping the breast in place. Improper positioning can result in the baby not being able to get any milk and can even do damage to breast tissue.
A number of attempts to ease the breastfeeding process have been made. One of the most widely recognized is the pillow sold by The Boppy® Company, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 (1993). This pillow rests on and around the mother's lap and helps by supporting the weight of the child during breastfeeding. The size of the pillow makes it inconvenient to lug around so it can only be used in a limited area and if the mother is seated. Also, the woman may still have to manually hold her breast in position so that the child may latch. This occupies one of her hands for the duration of the feeding. Devices designed to free the woman's hand by offering support to the breast itself rather than the child during breastfeeding include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,059,935 to Jamshidi (2006), 6,502,262 to Piscopo (2003), and 6,237,599 to Maulding (2001), as well as application Ser. Nos. 09/824,600 by Schmitter et al. (2001) and 09/824,914 by Aranas (2002). While these inventions are smaller than the large lap pillow and have the benefit of being portable, they are often too small to offer adequate support to the breast. These devices give support only at the bottom of the breast and do not extend to the sides or top of the breast. It is difficult to keep these devices in place while the child is breastfeeding.